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Came across this pic a while back on the net.... a mad looking little critter if ever I saw one :lol:
It's an atheris hispida african bristly bush viper. Here's some information on them:
Other Common Names:
Rough-scaled Bush (or Tree) Viper; Spiny Bush Viper; Hairy Bush Viper (this latter name should be avoided due to potential confusion with the recently described Atheris hirsuta, a species whose specific epithet literally means "hairy").
Distribution:
Isolated populations in western Kenya, southwestern Uganda, and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo [formerly Zaire] near Lakes Victoria, Edward, and Kivu.
Description:
Heavily keeled, elongated, and upturned scales. Snout is rounded and eyes are very large. Variable in color and pattern: yellowish green, olive brown, brownish, or black with a pale green venter (also may be black) becoming darker bluish or black caudally. Most members of this species have a dark chevron on head, and many have chevrons or zig-zag markings on body. Males are smaller and more slender than females, which may reach a length of up to 70 cm (28 inches).
Habitat and Behavior:
Equatorial and gallery forests, inland swamps, reed and papyrus swamps adjacent to lakes and rivers. Altitudes between 800-1900 meters. The stomach of the holotype contained a snail. May feed primarily on Hyperolidae reed frogs, but the "rapid slurping" feeding technique that this species is known to exhibit may suggest a specialization for soft-bodied invertebrates such as snails and slugs.
It's an atheris hispida african bristly bush viper. Here's some information on them:
Other Common Names:
Rough-scaled Bush (or Tree) Viper; Spiny Bush Viper; Hairy Bush Viper (this latter name should be avoided due to potential confusion with the recently described Atheris hirsuta, a species whose specific epithet literally means "hairy").
Distribution:
Isolated populations in western Kenya, southwestern Uganda, and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo [formerly Zaire] near Lakes Victoria, Edward, and Kivu.
Description:
Heavily keeled, elongated, and upturned scales. Snout is rounded and eyes are very large. Variable in color and pattern: yellowish green, olive brown, brownish, or black with a pale green venter (also may be black) becoming darker bluish or black caudally. Most members of this species have a dark chevron on head, and many have chevrons or zig-zag markings on body. Males are smaller and more slender than females, which may reach a length of up to 70 cm (28 inches).
Habitat and Behavior:
Equatorial and gallery forests, inland swamps, reed and papyrus swamps adjacent to lakes and rivers. Altitudes between 800-1900 meters. The stomach of the holotype contained a snail. May feed primarily on Hyperolidae reed frogs, but the "rapid slurping" feeding technique that this species is known to exhibit may suggest a specialization for soft-bodied invertebrates such as snails and slugs.
